Thank You, Voluntary Subscribers!
By Albert Stern / BJV Editor
Thank you, Berkshire Jewish Voice readers, for once again supporting your local Jewish newspaper so generously as voluntary subscribers.
In a year in which the Jewish world has been in turmoil, we know that there are many people, institutions, and causes that need and deserve support. That so many of you have stepped up for the BJV in this challenging time is a meaningful validation of our work.
Your voluntary subscriptions have allowed us to increase the number of copies we print and distribute via the mail and at locations throughout Berkshire County – we are getting word of all this Jewish community accomplishes out to more people. Contributions at the $360 and above honorary publisher level pay for the color pages we are able to print and give the paper more “shelf appeal” for new readers and tourists who might be picking the BJV off the rack.
So, if you haven’t already, please support the BJV as a voluntary subscriber – click on the links to donate online. In our print edition, you’ll also see a list of our generous patrons who, at the time of this writing, have already contributed roughly $16,000 to support our local Jewish newspaper. As the paper’s revenues do not cover our publishing costs, every contribution is vital.
I’m always pleased when community members tell me how much they value the BJV and our Jewish Summer Guide. This summer, I found out something new about our readership that I never really considered. Actress Annette Miller, a longtime friend of Federation and the BJV, called to ask me a question about something or other, and as we caught up, she mentioned how many of her non-Jewish friends have told her they regularly picked up the paper and enjoyed reading it.
Seriously?
Absolutely, she said. We publish useful information and good stories.
I was happy to hear that, though I have to admit being a bit surprised – at least until I was introduced to a friend of friend who was earning extra cash working part-time as a DoorDash driver. When I told her what I did for a living, she told me she loved the BJV, which she picked up off the rack at the Great Barrington Bagel Company while waiting for orders to be filled. She assured me it was the best local paper out there.
Seriously?
“Sure,” she assured me. “You find out about all these things that are going on that might not have been on your radar. You publish real interviews with interesting people and stories with a different perspective than you get from any other local paper. It’s always fun to read, and it looks good, too.”
Seriously.
It’s early September as I write this, at the end of another busy Berkshire summer. Looking back on it, I realize how much Federation and its affiliates have upped the ambition of their programming in recent years. Not only that, partnerships have developed among cultural organizations in our community that have brought Jewish-themed programs to local venues where you might not have seen them in the past.
My take on why this is happening now is that this development is a happy consequence of the “discovery” of the Berkshires during the pandemic. Folks who had not been attuned to the region, or who were perhaps only familiar with the offerings of our major cultural attractions, had the opportunity to spend time here and recognize the potential for what else might succeed. We have smart, enthusiastic audiences, a mature cultural infrastructure, venues of all sizes, spaces to develop new work year-round, and one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world – and all just hours from major cities.
Something big is happening, and I believe that the Berkshire Jewish Voice will have a valuable role to play as our Jewish institutions and creators expand their profile within the greater Berkshires cultural landscape. In addition to covering all the local goings-on in the community, we will continue to publish stories that reflect the sophistication of our readers and the people and subjects we cover. Perhaps the best compliment I ever received about the paper was from one of our local rabbis, who said “there is always something in each BJV that surprises me.” I like that so much because that’s what keeps me engaged – there is always something that surprises me, as well.
So please support the Berkshire Jewish Voice as a voluntary subscriber!